Lock-Lah to prevent bicycle thefts

The finals of the inaugural Bicycle Bay Design Competition, organised by the police and the National Crime Prevention Council, saw (from left) Mr Inigo, 21, Ms Joanna Christie Lie, 20, and Ms Yanti Agustin, 20, winning the top prize of $10,000 and a trophy for their "Lock-Lah" rack design.

SINGAPORE - It may be called "Lock-Lah", but there is nothing flippant about this device which aims to tackle bicycle thefts.

The fuss-free rack with a round plate at its front to keep away thieving hands was the winning entry at the inaugural Bicycle Bay Design Competition, earning its designers the top prize of $10,000 and a trophy.

The competition was launched by the Singapore Police Force and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) earlier this year in an effort to curb the rising number of bicycles being stolen.

And the Indonesian team of Ms Joanna Christie Lie, Ms Yanti Agustin and Mr Inigo, who were among the five finalists, believe they have the answer with "Lock-Lah".

"We asked friends whose bikes were stolen to find out what they wanted in the design," said Mr Inigo, a 21-year-old technical specialist with Toyota.

His partners, both aged 20, are final-year product design students at Lasalle School of the Arts.

The team found that thieves often targeted front wheels, front shafts and seat tubes, since they were the easiest parts to take apart and steal, said Ms Lie.